Hi everyone ^^, i'm new to these forums, and recently I have been growing increasingly interested into photography. So i'm looking for a beginner camera, i've been looking at something i could afford like D60, D3000 or Canon XS.. At this point, i'm willing to spend about 400-500 dollars on a DSLR.

The sort of pictures i'd be taking are more pointed towards leisure photos, maybe some scenics, sports, and night time shots (like these: Flickr: chicago.'s Photostream)

I also heard that i should look for lenses before a DSLR? Maybe i should consider buying a DSLR as my last priority. i'm not sure It'd be great for any opinions or suggestions
THANKS! =]

What I usually recommend is borrowing someone's basic point and shoot digital camera for a few days and take as many pictures as you can of as many of the things you see. Before you drop a half a G on a DSLR, you might find that something more basic might suit you far better. And even then, there's some terrific p&s cameras that have a lot of the functions of the higher end cameras for a fraction of the price.

Fuzzy Zeller used to say in a K Mart golf equipment ad "You can buy the clubs, but the swing is mine!" meaning it's more about the photographer than his gear.